The Tipping Point?

It's been a long time since I reached the tipping point.:drink: :drink: I'm old and out of shape.

I think it's pretty individualized. Like you stated, a sprinter probably won't need the same endurance as a distance person. For myself, it seems to be "around" 16-20,000yds/week. but we all need to remember that in reality it's really a heartrate/time dependent issue. You can swim leisurely for days on end, lots and lots of miles and never arrive at a "real aerobic conditioning/fitness" level.

For myself, it seems to be "around" 16-20,000yds/week. but we all need to remember that in reality it's really a heartrate/time dependent issue. You can swim leisurely for days on end, lots and lots of miles and never arrive at a "real aerobic conditioning/fitness" level. Peter: I bet you were at that tipping point during your mega-meet heyday easily! You were probably tipping and upchucking simultaneously. Some context: My first coach was a fabulous guy who gave me lots of individual attention in an informal masters group, and is the reason I am a somewhat decent master swimmer today. He is a 27 year old former Olympic trialist who used to race Nesty and swam with Bauerle at Georgia before doubles/mega yardage resulted in shoulder surgery and ruined his college career. He was a very good 100 fly/free/back guy who was really into TI. (Note: no breaststroke) He knew his stuff. (I'm trying to get him to join my current team as a "masters" swimmer, but he's very busy at work and isn't sure he's ready to do what's necessary to get in shape.) When he gave me the 25,000 yard "tipping point," he was trying to get me to do more yardage. I was hovering around 12,000, maybe at most 15,000 then. He thought it was fine that I seemed to be a drop dead sprinter. (He loved the 50 free.) But at the time, I wanted to try some other events, especially the 200 IM. But I didn't want to do it slowly just to do a masters PB. (Dave :thhbbb: ). So he told me if I wanted to have some really bang up 100s (especially fly) and some fast 200s, I needed to do 25,000 -- in the manner that Jim describes: real heart rate stuff, no lazing around. (I read somewhere that this is Laura Val's yardage.) Having swum for another 8 months since he moved on, I still have the sense that personally, I would need to do Jim's yardage range, maybe on the upper side to have really decent 200s. Just my sense. Not going to get there just now. One day I'll do that 200 IM.

We have a relatively new, small masters team. We work out three days a week for an hour. My coach (has trained olympic swimmers) says that for masters swimmers, three days a week is sufficient for practice to allow for recovery time. He works the dickens out of us on the days we swim. One or two 500's, sometimes an 800, but loads and loads and loads of 25, 50, 75 and 100 sprints. Very little rest :shakeshead: . Currently, I am the fastest swimmer on the team :rofl: (I said it was a small new team:agree: ). There are practices, where I am close to blowing chow and/or have thought about just getting out and giving up (lack of air to the brain:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: ). I never have gotten out (quitting is not something I ever do with anything I do), I tell myself that it will soon be over and I'll be high on endorphines when it is over :drink: . We were going to get times this week to see how far we have come since our first meet in November (after we had been practicing for only 6 weeks). However, due to road conditions, that will be done at a later time. I am really hoping we swim on Friday :dunno: I guess my point is, that depending on how often a swimmer gets pool time, and what kind of a swimmer you are (I'm a sprinter), it may not all be about yardage. I can tell that my intervals are faster and even though we are sprinting through the workouts, I can handle more and more yardage before I want to get out - but the coach is always pushing us to that point, so it keeps increasing. For me anyway, I will have to wait until my next meet to see what this style of workout is doing for me.

I don't kow about the 'tipping point' re swimming, but I do know that I've reached the 'upchucking point' once or twice. Though possibly the intensity of workout and the nature and quality of my pre-workout snack may have been the variables, not distance.

Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is the husband. You must know my wife.:rolleyes:

Hi Per, I swim M-W-F. On Tuesdays ad Thursdays, I do cardio on the stairmill, elipse, or ARC for 30 - 45 mins. Recently I have begun to lift weights on those days as well. Leg presses, leg extentions, leg curls, forward lateral pulls and pushes, rows and triceps. I always to do some yoga stretches and a short meditation at the end to prepare myself for my workday. On Friday's I take a regular Yoga class in the afternoon which really has helped with my flexibility. I am quite tall and have never been very flexible, but the yoga has me far more flexible that I ever was as a teenager! Practices vary, but one we did was 4 X 100 (1 of each stroke) 1 X 100 IM 1 X 400 IM 10 X 75 free (I wanted to throw up on these) 5 X 50 free 1 X 100 Free cooldown another was 1 X 500 Fr warm-up 10 X 50 FR/BR (freestyle up/breaststroke back) 10 X 25 FL 1 X 500 Free 1 X 200 Free 1 X 50 kick (cooldown) There is not much rest with the sprints. The second 500 is a recovery. The 200 is a sprint. (we ran out of time, elite age group were waiting to swim, so we did a short cooldown - usually we do more) We have not had a meet since stepping up our training. So I can tell you more about that after I experience it. I always push myself against whoever is next to me. (since the team is small we get our own lane) So far I have been able to stay ahead (they are all 15 to 26 years younger than me), but its good for me to think they are catching me, because I push harder to stay ahead. Hope this helps :)

Hi swim4me! We have exactly the same situation it seems. Three practices a week. Do you do weight lifting as well? How far do you go each practice? Can you give examples of different series you typically do? How do you differentiate the weeks/months before a coming event? All info would be of interest Cheers /Per

Some context: My first coach was a fabulous guy who gave me lots of individual attention in an informal masters group, and is the reason I am a somewhat decent master swimmer today. He is a 27 year old former Olympic trialist who used to race Nesty and swam with Bauerle at Georgia before doubles/mega yardage resulted in shoulder surgery and ruined his college career. What is your coach's name?!

What is your coach's name?! Hey twin. His name is Trevor Basil. Really great guy. He left Georgia after his shoulder surgery, though, and graduated elsewhere. He also coached my daughter's USS team for awhile before joining the corporate world (which he doesn't like). He couldn't do breastroke though. And my current coach hates it. I'm sunk. What's your "tipping point" or typical season yardage wise for maximum sprinter performance, assuming no ghastly shoulder issues? (I hope you are better and in the water!!!!) Islandsox: I read that information about Laura Val here on some thread.